1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a heat engine, and in particular to an engine that transforms heat energy partially into rotating mechanical energy with the assistance of gravity useful in actuating amusement and demonstrating concepts of physics for the purpose of education.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to provide background information so that the invention may be completely understood and appreciated in its proper context, reference is made to prior art U.S. patent numbers in the following paragraphs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,402,463; 2,240,906 and 2,398,471 all disclose two chamber novelty power devices capable of partial rotation oscillating about an axis, which operation is effected by evaporative cooling and ambient air temperature. These inventions do not provide the capacity for 360-degree rotation about an axis, nor do they employ the explicit application of an external energy source, in the form of heat, for more clearly demonstrating the concepts of physics employed for device operation, as does the present invention.
The following paragraphs examine a variety of heat engines within the prior art designed with the purpose of producing useful work. Although the present invention is capable of converting heat energy into mechanical energy, the following prior art differs from the present invention principally in that amusement and education are the present invention's primary objects. There are also improvements noted with the present invention that are intended to reduce the device complexity found within the prior art.
While U.S. Pat. No. 242,454 requires a minimum of only one tube connecting a pair of reservoirs for operation; it should be noted that the ends of the tube are connected to the reservoirs at elbows bent in opposing directions to ensure the reservoirs offset each other with respect to the central length of the tube in order to obtain the desired 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The elbows may introduce a higher risk for device failure due to the increased potential for crimping or cracking depending on the material used to compose the tube. The present invention reduces the risk of malfunction by eliminating the elbows thus offering improved functionality while providing 360-degree unidirectional rotation with a minimum of one tube connecting a pair of reservoirs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 243,909 and 389,515 improve the design of previous art by ensuring that the tube connecting the two reservoirs extends into each reservoir. The improvement was made in part to help maximize the flow of fluid through the tube affected by increased vapor pressure within a given reservoir. The improvement made it necessary to employ additional tubes and reservoirs in order to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The present invention extends the connecting tube into the reservoirs to increase fluid flow with the objective of enhancing amusement; however, it differs from the prior art by utilizing asymmetric reservoirs to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation without the need for additional tubes and reservoirs thus simplifying the device without compromising functionality.
Within the prior art there are many examples of two chamber heat engines that create a rocking motion. Included in this list are U.S. Pat. Nos. 250,821; 253,868 and 271,639. The present invention differs from the prior art in that the present invention utilizes an axis that enables full rotation and asymmetric chambers that provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation. The asymmetric chambers when filled shift the center of gravity to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation and inhibit 180-degree oscillation about the axis.
In order to provide 360-degree unidirectional rotation prior art introduces a variety of constructs including additional chambers, gears, valves or pistons. Included in this list are U.S. Pat. Nos. 50,151; 250,265; 256,482; 2,513,692; 4,509,329 and 6,240,729. The extra complexity due to adding chambers is not required by the present invention. The present invention requires a minimum of one pair of chambers connected by a tube. The present invention does not require gears or internal moving parts with the exception of the liquid and gas that is communicated between the chambers as the simplicity of device embodiment is considered essential for enhancing the clarity of operation for educational purposes.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieves or fulfills the purposes of the explicit application of an external heat source to provide 360-degree unidirectional device rotation about an axis to actuate amusement and more clearly demonstrate concepts including but not limited to the first and second laws of thermodynamics, Charles' and Boyle's gas laws, the law of gravity, the dynamics of rotational motion and fluid mechanics as does the present invention.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a rotation device for amusement and education in the field of science.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide 360-degree device rotation about an axis.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide unidirectional rotation about an axis.
It is a further object of the present invention to achieve device rotation with a minimum of one tube connecting a pair of enclosed reservoirs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the explicit application of an external energy source, in the form of heat, to generate device rotation.